Drug & Device Development

Stereotactic radiotherapy helpful in colorectal liver metastases

Last Updated: 2011-04-20 11:57:23 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By David Douglas

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If surgery is not an option, stereotactic body radiotherapy is one of the standards available for unresectable colorectal liver metastases, researchers report in a March 22nd online paper in Cancer.

Dr. Daniel T. Chang told Reuters Health by email that in such patients, "Stereotactic body radiotherapy for colorectal liver metastases provides a safe and effective treatment."

"The dose of radiation given is important, and standardized dosing schedules do not exist," he added. "Our results offer suggestions on a dose that should provide a high chance of controlling disease."

Dr. Chang of Stanford University, California, and colleagues conducted a pooled analysis of data on 65 patients with 102 colorectal metastases. In all, 72% of patients had at least one chemotherapy regimen before body radiotherapy and 42% had at least two.

The median follow-up was 1.2 years and the median radiation dosage was 42 Gy (range, 22 to 60 Gy).

Nonactive extrahepatic disease was significantly associated with overall survival. There was also a close correlation with sustained local control.

The team estimated that to achieve 1-year local control greater than 90%, the radiation dosage range should be from 46 to 52 Gy in three fractions.

The researchers conclude that "liver stereotactic body radiotherapy is an effective ablative therapy with minimal toxicity."

"The correlation between sustained local control and improved overall survival supports the clinical value of controlling hepatic disease even for heavily pretreated patients," they add.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/dOWsoA

Cancer 2011.